Lexical Summary kai ge: and indeed, and yet, even Original Word: καί γε Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and, at least. From kai and ge; and at least (or even, indeed) -- and, at least. see GREEK kai see GREEK ge HELPS Word-studies 2534 kaíge (from 2532 /kaí, "and, even" and 1065 /gé, "indeed") – an emphatic conjunction meaning "moreover indeed," "indeed for sure," "at least." NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originsee kai and ge. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2534: καίγεκαίγε, see γέ, 3 e. Topical Lexicon Overview The compound particle καί γε (kai ge) joins the common connective καί (“and, also”) with the enclitic γε, which adds focus or limitation. Together they introduce an idea that is not merely added but underscored—“and indeed,” “and at any rate,” “and even.” Although absent from the extant manuscripts of the Greek New Testament, καί γε is well attested in Classical Greek, the Septuagint, the Apocrypha, and early Christian writings. Its force is consistently emphatic, pressing the reader to concede or to recognize a point already implicit in the context. Position in Koine Syntax 1. Post-positive: γε is almost always the second or third word in the clause, so the combination often appears as καὶ γε. Occurrences in the Septuagint and Early Literature • Genesis 40:15; Judges 6:13; Job 19:25; Psalm 73:9; Jeremiah 32:36 (LXX numbering). In each case καί γε signals, “the matter stands beyond dispute,” or, “granted this much.” For example, Job 19:25 LXX reads, “κἀγὼ γὰρ οἶδα ὅτι ἀένναός μού ἐστιν ὁ ῥυόμενος,” where καὶ γε (conflated here as κἀγώ) presses Job’s certainty: “For I know that my Redeemer lives”. Function in Rhetoric and Argumentation 1. Confirmation—reinforcing a statement already introduced. Early Christian apologists employ καί γε in exactly this sense. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 63.5: “καί γε ἡμεῖς ὁμολογοῦμεν…” (“and indeed we confess…”). The particle frames a shared ground before moving to doctrinal proof. Implications for Biblical Interpretation Because καί γε never appears in the Greek New Testament, no textual variant or translation issue hinges directly on it. Nevertheless, the particle’s function sheds light on comparable New Testament constructions that accomplish the same rhetorical work: Seeing how καί γε operates in Greek literature helps the expositor perceive the intensity in these parallel structures. Historical Witness in Manuscripts and Patristic Citations Codex Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, and Alexandrinus attest frequent καί γε occurrences in their Septuagint sections. Patristic citations (Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen) confirm an unbroken literary line from the third century B.C. into the patristic era. The absence of the form in New Testament manuscripts is therefore not a linguistic gap but the outcome of authorial choice within the sovereign guidance of Scripture. Ministry Application 1. Preaching: Recognize and convey the weight of “even if” or “and indeed” clauses. What καί γε does in Greek, a preacher can parallel in natural, emphatic English—underscoring truths congregations might otherwise take for granted. Key Takeaways • καί γε emphatically concedes or confirms. Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance καθίστησιν — 2 Occ.καθὸ — 4 Occ. καθόλου — 1 Occ. καθωπλισμένος — 1 Occ. καθορᾶται — 1 Occ. καθότι — 6 Occ. καθὼς — 182 Occ. καθώσπερ — 1 Occ. καὶ — 9079 Occ. Καιάφα — 4 Occ. Καιάφας — 3 Occ. Καὶν — 3 Occ. Καινάμ — 2 Occ. καινὰ — 3 Occ. καιναῖς — 1 Occ. καινή — 6 Occ. καινὴν — 11 Occ. καινῆς — 3 Occ. καινῷ — 1 Occ. καινὸν — 10 Occ. |
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